Sugar is tricky. It’s all through our food supply and even hiding in foods we’ve been told are healthy. Hidden sugar is the #1 cause of weight resistance and weight gain.
Even if sugar isn’t spelled out on a food label, it doesn’t mean that the item is sugar-free or sweetener-free. Label-reading can be complicated. Sugar goes by an overwhelming 56 different names! Some of these names are self-explanatory, like brown sugar, cane sugar, and beet sugar. But other names can be misleading, such as maltodextrin, dextrose, and others.
Making it even more challenging, greater than 68% of barcoded foods (processed foods) sold in the US include added sweeteners. So called “health foods” are often the biggest offenders. Foods like yogurt, kefir, protein bars, vitamin and electrolyte drinks, smoothies, protein shakes, coffee drinks, and other “health foods” are usually loaded with hidden sugars.
In addition, even good food choices can throw your blood sugar out of balance, which will spike your insulin levels and keep weight stubbornly hanging on. Some of these foods include an excess of fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, and even coffee.
How Much Sugar Are We Really Eating?
The numbers are shocking — especially when you compare the amount of sugar the average person used to eat.
For example, in 1822, the average American consumed 45 grams of sugar (a little more than what’s in a 12-ounce soda) EVERY 5 DAYS. Today, Americans average almost 400 grams of sugar every 5 days!
In the US, we now have an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Significantly increased consumption of refined sugar is the driving force behind these health problems as well as hypertension, joint and muscle pain, depression, acne, headaches, fatigue, inflammation and more.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting added sugar to 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day for men and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for women and children over 2.
According to the AHA, American adults consume an average of 77 grams of sugar per day, more than 3 times the recommended amount for women. Annually, this adds up to around 60 pounds of added sugar – the equivalent of six, 10-pound bowling balls!
When it comes to kids, the numbers are even worse. American children consume 81 grams per day, equaling over 65 pounds of added sugar per year. From sweetened beverages alone, kids are consuming over 30 gallons of added sugars per year – enough to fill a bathtub!
Did you know that if you give up 150 calories of sugar or refined carbohydrates each day (the equivalent of one soda, sweet tea, or Gatorade), you will lose 15 pounds in a year, if everything else stays the same?
Check out how many teaspoons of sugar are in these popular foods and drinks!
- 8 ounces of soda = 27 g sugar (almost 7 t.)
- 20 ounces of soda = 65 g sugar (> 16 t.) – Convenience store or fast food size
- DQ small Blizzard = 73 g sugar (> 18 t.)
- Frozen custard small cone = 60 g sugar (= 15 t.)
Imagine a typical day in the Standard American Diet,
- Breakfast = doughnut (12 – 24 g sugar)
- Lunch = healthy option plus soda, lemonade, or sweet tea (65 g sugar)
- Dinner = healthy options
- Dessert after Dinner = small frozen custard cone (60 g sugar)
- Total (not including ketchup, BBQ sauce, salad dressings, or any other sugar from the day) = 137 – 149 g sugar (6 DAYS worth of sugar!)
Taste Bud Exercise: Let’s test your taste buds to see whether a taste reset may be in order!
With a neutral mouth (not right after brushing teeth or having coffee, etc), grab an apple and take 4-5 bites, then rate it on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the sweetest. If you rate the apple above a 7 then your tastes buds are on target. But if you rate it below a 7, then you may need to do a sugar reset to get rid of excess sugars in your body, recalibrate your taste buds, and alter the sweetness levels you expect from your foods.
Why Does Blood Sugar Even Matter?
Metabolic dysfunctions such as overweight and obesity, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure are linked to a diet high in added sugars and refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates are carbohydrates that have been stripped of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
This type of diet promotes the growth of certain kinds of bacteria that produce toxins in your gut. These toxins are known to increase inflammation, cause us to use energy from our food inefficiently, and to store too many of our calories as fat. These physiological changes drive insulin resistance, also known as Pre-diabetes.
As you can see, our diet has a huge impact on our microbiome, which has a huge impact on our health, weight, and well-being. It’s important to remember, what you feed will grow.
Sugar feeds unhealthy bacteria, fungi, and pathogens causing them to grow. On the other hand, fiber, vegetables, fruits, and probiotic foods feed the good bacteria, helping them to flourish. As the good bacteria grow, they displace the unhealthy bacteria. Think of it like planting a garden. If you till the ground but don’t plant anything, what will grow? Right, weeds. But if you till the ground and plant flowers throughout the entire garden; then you fertilize and water the flowers, they will grow and crowd out the weeds. Same idea when it comes to the ecosystem of your gut.
The Bottom Line
Identifying added sugars and hidden sugars in your diet and replacing them with nutrient-rich foods has an incredible impact on your gut microbiome. The great news is, these changes to your microbiome happen surprisingly fast.
By making a few deliberate changes to your diet, increasing complex carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits and getting the right amounts of protein and fat, will not only help to eliminate cravings, reduce pain, and lower weight but will also boost your energy levels and immunity.